Washington DC

Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions (LEOSU-DC)

1155 F St NW #1050, Washington, DC 20004

Tel: 202-595-3510






Building a Healthy Union - Checklist


LEOSU-DC Online Shop Steward Training Course providing up to date Information for Stewards, Local Union Officers, and LEOSU-DC Members who want to know more about their rights, the law & its protections, workplace issues and the benefits of having an LEOSU-DC Union Contract. 

Unions across the United States operate under many different conditions. Some exist in “right to work” states where union membership is completely voluntary, but the union must represent them. Many unions are successful in gaining vast improvements in their union contract while others are still fighting for their first contract.










The employer will usually want to add language that the steward must notify their supervisor if they leave their work area or try to limit the amount of time spent on union business.




“All grievance meetings between the union and the company shall take place during normal working hours.”








There are cases where employees do not want a union steward present when they talk with a boss. HOWEVER the union has the right to make sure the contract is being properly applied. This outweighs an individual’s desire to bargain with the boss by themselves. Since the contract is governed by the union, no individual has the right to make a “deal” with the employer that breaks the contract. An individual can’t agree to accept less pay or get more pay than the contract calls for. A person could agree to accept a warning given by the employer, but even in that case the union could file a grievance so that a bad precedent isn’t set. The union steward also needs the right to be present to make sure the employer does not try to intimidate the employee.


Contracts sometimes say an individual has the right to meet with their supervisor over a problem before it becomes a grievance. Even in those situations the steward has the right to know if an agreement was reached and what it was.






Union functions are not restricted to the workplace. Union stewards, officers and active members need the ability to attend union conventions and other activities. Especially important is the ability of activists to assist in organizing new workplaces. The union’s most valuable asset in organizing drives is LEOSU-DC members who can speak about the power of the union.






The LEOSU-DC practice is to have one steward per department or shift. In some very large departments there may be a need for more than one steward. LEOSU-DC has maintained this practice because life has shown us that an effective steward is one who knows what is going on in their area and knows their fellow co-officers. Employers often try to limit the number of stewards, especially when it comes to paying them to handle grievances during working hours. In some cases where the union was forced to limit the number of stewards who are paid by the employer, a system of assistant stewards has been set up to ensure proper representation.




LEOSU-DC stewards should approach new hires to tell them about the union. This should be done on their first day of work, even if they don’t become union members for another 30 days or longer. This is even more important in right-to-work for less states. In these cases the contract should provide for a union orientation for new employees. This means that immediately after being hired, the new employee meets with a union officer who informs them about the union and the benefits of joining the union. Usually the new employee is signed up right away, although their dues authorization card is not turned in to the employer until they have completed their probation period.




Many practices contribute to the running of a successful LEOSU-DC Local. Here are just a few:




Stewards function much better if they know what is going on. The best way for this to happen is to have the Chief Steward convene regular meetings of the stewards to go over the previous month’s activity. In many contracts stewards only attend the first and second step of the grievance procedure and thus might not hear about the final settlement.






the stewards informed is key; the same is true for the membership. Regular monthly meetings are important. Sometime the tendency is to hold meetings only when “something is happening,” but this can lead to a poorly functioning union. There needs to be a regular time to talk about workplace issues, etc. Informal meetings can also be very important. LEOSU-DC locals can hold lunchtime meetings to inform the membership of important issues. This gives the union a chance to reach the biggest number of members quickly. When holding these “at the workplace” meetings it is important to hold them in an area that allows members to speak freely without fear of management reprisals. It is also important not to rush to a vote before everyone has had time to think over an issue. Sometimes 20 or 30 minutes at lunch isn’t enough. Two or more meeting might have to be held to give the members more time to think.




Regular newsletters also help keep the membership informed. Since they will be read by management, they can also be used to send them a message. But don’t only write them when the union is mad. This can make it look like the union never wins or settles any problems. Newsletters need to point out both what the issues are and what the union has been able to accomplish.

LEOSU-DC Online Shop Steward Training Course


LEOSU Washington DC

 Protecting Those Who  Protect 

Our Homeland Security

